It’s Thursday! It looks like it might be a wet and cool spring morning in Durham. A great day for boots and a raincoat and a cup of lukewarm tea afterward.
Outdoor/Large Motor Invitation: Adventure day!
A central piece of our educational philosophy at LACS is the importance of being outside, not only on the playground, but out in the world. During this time of social-distancing, adventures look different. It may be a walk around the yard in boots and raincoat, going slowly and looking for changes, it might be a walk around your living room, or in your neighborhood depending on your situation. No matter where you walk, invite your child to take their time, to use their senses, and to wonder.
Adventures offer a new way to experience the world. Sometimes we go new places, but often we revisit to explore more deeply, to look for change, to seek answers to questions. We hope your child has a wonderful adventure today.
Small Motor Invitation: Observational drawing
Your child can bring a clipboard (you can make one from a piece of cardboard and a binder clip) on their adventure and draw something they see and want to remember, or they can find something in or around your home. Observational drawing is a way of looking at objects “like a scientist” and drawing what you see. Children sometimes find it helpful to look for shapes the know, to talk through what they notice about the object. A blank piece of paper and a sharp pencil or drawing pen are all they will need.
Observational drawing brings children’s attention to the shapes and details around them while building fine motor skills.
Building Invitation: Block map of your adventure
You can use this invitation as an extension of your child’s adventure from earlier, or set it up beforehand and have children map where they think they will go. A block map can also become the adventure for small figures or toys. If you have a limited supply of blocks, empty cracker or cereal boxes make excellent buildings.
Building representations of the world with blocks asks children to explore scale, physical properties, and cartography. Building with blocks also uses motor skills and requires persistence.
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